Belgium aviation history

This is a brief introduction of the history of aviation in Belgium.

First of all we
must salute the heroic courage of the pioneers. We will remind the
unfortunate trials of Vincent De Groof who died in London in July 1874
whilst experimenting his concept of a machine with moving wings. This
is the first known evidence of any Belgian interest for the "heavier
than the air".
A military aerostation company was created in 1887. Many Belgians did
practice this "sport", bringing some success to our country in the
Gordon-Bennet competitions.

In October 1908, Baron Pierre de Caters is the
first Belgian to fly in a "heavier-than-air
with-fixed-wings-and-an-autonomous-propulsion-system". The century
anniversary of this first flight will receive a due celebration in
October 2008. His exploit will soon be followed by others. Many will,
as he did, export the Belgian reputation to the outside world :
Chevalier Jules de Lamine, Charles Van den Born, Joseph Christiaens and
the most known, the very nice Jan Olieslagers, the "Antwerp Devil".
Among the first ladies flyers we find our compatriot Hélène Dutrieu.
At the end of 1910 we salute the birth of our military aviation,
unfortunately with the growing noise of World War 1.

As soon as 1912 our aviators installed a machine gun on a pivot at the
rear of their aircraft and performed air to ground firing. Only the
Americans were our predecessors, holding a machine gun on their knees,
in a very uncomfortable and unrealistic manner.

In 1913 the 1st and 2nd Squadrons did participate with success at the
yearly large scale military maneuvers.
Meanwhile
many Belgians started building prototypes. Some even managed to
take-off ! Their exploits are being carefully scrutinized for
historical reconstitution.

Further to the first international conflict, aviation made considerable
progress. The Belgian military aviators were not the least to develop
the fighter, bomber and aerial photography elements of aviation.

With the return of peace, Commandant Nelis, together with a few other
perceptive aviators and encouraged by our King, highly interested in
aviation, defined the basis of a true transport aviation. This saw the
birth in 1919 of the SNETA, direct predecessor of our SABENA.

The national aeronautical industry is also of growing importance. Next
to the Brothers Bollekens, first aeronautical constructors, we see the
creation of firms such as SABCA (which recently celebrated its
seventy-fifth anniversary), Renard, Stampe and many others. They
produced a lot of prototypes and did build under license the aircraft
selected by our military aviation.

An important event between the two World Wars remains the first air
link Belgium-Congo performed in 1925 by Edmond Thieffry and his crew.
The route was created : soon the military crews Medaets, Verhaegen and
Vanderlinden-Fabri, flying Breguet XIX, did start fast liaisons.

The history of AELR

The wealth and diversity of the collections presented in the Royal
Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History attract surprise and
admiration from our compatriots as well as from the many foreign
visitors.

More particularly, the Air and Space Section has had a fast and very
successful development, thanks to the long term vision of a few
military and civilian airman and ground crew who created, some fourty
years ago, the Association AELR.

These volunteers, former members of the Air Force and Sabena, or simply
aviation fanatics, devoted their time and energy to gather and
refurbish the displayed aircraft and the many other air related items.

It is basically thanks to the enthusiasm and the dynamism of these
volunteers, among whom we more particularly name the retired Air Force
senior pilot-officers Mike Terlinden and Hervé Donnet and
Warrant-officer Jean Booten, that we are able today to present you an
Air Museum which is proud of its name. All this despite very limited
budgetary means.

Today the restoration activities are assumed by crews of volunteers,
members of the AELR and regrouped in a restoration entity. Each crew is in charge of a
specific airplane.

To deal with more complex technical problems and for infrastructure
works we can fortunately benefit from the support of the Air Force and
of the Community Services.

On the other hand, we also have the benefit of the support of the
operational and logistic units of the Air Force whose personnel
regularly and on a voluntary basis is taking care of the cleaning of
the exposed aircraft.

All those who contribute to enhance the value of our cultural heritage
and weave a net binding inextricably the past, the present and the
future of aviation history, merit our admiration and our gratitude.

We will continue to act on the same track, making ours the motto :
"Proud of the past, faith in the future..."

The AELR association

The AELR (Air-Espace-Lucht-Ruimtevaart), also located in the main hall,
is an all volunteers association, devoting their time and energy to
gather and refurbish the displayed aircraft and the many other air and
space related objects.